In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, June 15, 2016, NIWRC is pleased to present this webinar. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) began ten years ago in 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations to provide an opportunity for people and communities around the world “to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.”WEAAD serves as a call-to-action for individuals, tribal nations, organizations, and communities to raise awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The abuse, neglect and exploitation of our elders occurs in every culture. It can happen to anyone.Everyday in this country, countless numbers of older persons are abused, neglected and exploited. It is estimated that in the US, our elders lose more than $2.6 billion due to elder financial abuse and exploitation, often depriving them of basic needs such as food, shelter and medical attention.Presented by Dr. Jacque Gray, Ph.D; Facilitated by Gwendolyn Packard, NIWRC

Many healing traditions theorized that, in addition to breaking down food and absorbing nutrients, the gut was also responsible for regulating our entire emotional network. No wonder our gut can truly feel like a second brain at times!A lifetime of stress, environmental toxins, and poor eating is enough to throw your gut health into the gutter, but balancing your gut bacteria doesn't have to be complicated. Herbs have been used since the beginning of time to soothe various gut issues. Often taken before meals, herbal elixirs can increase enzyme production and prevent the buildup of bad bacteria. Working these healing beverages into your daily routine can help you finally ease bloating, indigestion, and other discomforts you thought you had to live with forever.

Morning Glory Elixir

This powerful anti-inflammatory morning formula will leave you full of energy to take on the day. Its vital ingredients like marshmallow root, turmeric, and aloe all help soothe the stomach and kidneys.Ingredients

1 teaspoon fresh aloe gel

1 teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon marshmallow root powder

½ ounce apple cider vinegar

8 ounces warm water

InstructionsAdd all ingredients into hot water and shake well. Allow the mixture to cool down a bit before you enjoy.'

Adaptogenic Bitter

This is a highly aromatic recipe with an adaptogenic kick. Its primary adaptogen, rhodiola, supports gut balance and prevents stress buildup. The other herbs soothe the gut by promoting healthy enzyme function. Ingredients

1 part rhodiola root

1 part dandelion root powder

1 part ginger root (freshly grated)

1 part dried orange peel

1 part fennel seeds

Raw honey or stevia for sweetness

InstructionsSimmer the herbs in a teapot with 4 to 6 cups of water for 20 minutes. Strain and enjoy.

Probiotic Spritz

Tired of spending hundreds of dollars on probiotic drinks and capsules? Well, the solution might just cost you about $3 and some fun kitchen time. Rejuvelac is a fermented grain liquid that promotes healthy gut flora, and it's not difficult to make yourself.Ingredients

1 cup soft wheat berries (or other grains)

Cucumber slices

Lemon slices

1 cup sparkling water

Instructions1. I've found that wheat berries, rye, and quinoa make for the best rejuvelac, but you can also use quinoa, lentils, buckwheat, or any other type of grain. Place your wheat berries in a jar with a screen top (or tight cheese cloth) and fill with water.2. Soak the grain for 24 hours. Drain the water, leave the berries in the jar, and rinse them off two to three times a day until little sprout tails appear.3. Place sprouted grain in a large jar with a top that allows air to circulate. Add 4 cups of water and let it sit on the counter for 2 to 3 days. You will notice that the water will get cloudy and little bubbles will start to form.4. Taste what you have so far—it should taste clean, fresh, and slightly citrusy. Strain the rejuvelac liquid and store it in the refrigerator in a covered glass container. It will last about a week, and you can reuse the wheat berries to make a second batch.5. Slice up some cucumber and lemons and add them into a cup of sparkling water. Add 1 to 2 ounces of your rejuvelac liquid and enjoy! I'd recommend drinking this rejuvelac spritz at least 30 minutes before meals, 2 to 3 times a day, for optimum effects.

We live in a society organized according to a linear vision of time, with a huge imprinted obsession about the future. I used to become so addicted to time managing, planning, and meeting tight deadlines that I actually started to forget to live in the present. What’s more, my corporate job and Ph.D. studies required a lot of planning and setting goals in the future. I quickly reached a moment when my mind was so busy with projecting possible future scenarios that I simply couldn’t switch my mind into “here and now” mode and enjoy the life I was actually living.​Here’s how a regular practice of meditation helped me shift the way I see and feel time.

There’s only now.Meditation is sometimes described as a “grounding” practice. It grounds your mind at presence and prevents it from wandering somewhere in the future (planning and projecting) or in the past (holding on to scars, old stories). Even though you live in a society organized according to a linear idea of time, you can’t change the past and you can’t be in the future. The only place you can live is actually—right now. Right now everything is happening; right now is the only moment when you can decide what to do, how to feel, what to think. Isn’t that actually empowering?

Future is filled with trust.Once you fully understand and feel that the only moment of living is here and now, you will no longer worry about the future. That’s because you redirect your attention from a constant, endless worry and anxiety about the future to you living here and now. Instead of projecting less or more possible scenarios of future events, you fully concentrate on enjoying that one moment in your life, which is now.

Release the past.I used to hold on to my past stories a lot. I felt miserable about a few broken relationships, was angry and disappointed with a couple of situations. But the more you live at presence and the more you are conscious of you being here and now, the more unimportant and blurred becomes the past. After all, what is the point of wasting your energy on something you can’t change? If you want to change something you are unhappy with, this is the only right time to do it—now.

There’s time for everything.This one can be hard to believe in, but honestly (with a hand on my heart), there’s time for everything that truly matters to you. Yes, I know that “not enough time” has become one of most repeated mantras in the XXI Century. But doesn’t it sound like an excuse? We often become so focus and concentrated on planning the future, that we miss important moments happening right now. Have you ever missed in your life something that was really (I mean really, really) important to you? You may have thought you wouldn’t make it, but you haven’t missed it. You can’t be too late in your life, so take a few deep breaths and relax. It’s going to be all right.